+86 17727725162 jqj014950@topstarltd.com

Home / How to solve the problem of communication delay in electric injection molding machine?

How to solve the problem of communication delay in electric injection molding machine?

2025/02/05 By Topstar

electric injection molding machine 60-6

Electric injection molding machines improve the production of plastic manufacturing with precision, energy saving, and high cleanliness. However, a common problem in traditional electric injection molding machines is the communication delay between the controller and the servo drive. This bottleneck affects the quality of high-speed, high-precision applications. Even millisecond delays can lead to inconsistent part size, surface finish, or material distribution. While upgrading to a high-performance CPU is an obvious solution, this approach increases costs and complicates system design. Topstar has reimagined the control architecture with the TE Ⅱ electric injection molding machine, launching a breakthrough solution that eliminates delays without expensive hardware upgrades.

The hidden cost of communication delays in electric injection molding machines

In traditional electric injection molding machines, communication between the central controller and the servo drive relies on serial protocols such as CANopen or EtherCAT. While these systems are sufficient for general applications, they introduce inherent delays – typically 2-5 milliseconds per cycle. Then, in high-speed molding cycles, such as thin-wall packaging or medical, optical component production, this delay can cause a mismatch between command signals and actuator responses. For example, pressure overshoot during cavity filling or position errors during mold clamping can result in scrap rates as high as 5-8%.

The root cause lies in the sequential workflow: The controller calculates the motion profile, transmits it to the drive, and waits for confirmation before continuing. This communication becomes a critical bottleneck when cycle times are below 3 seconds. Manufacturers often overspecify tolerances or slow production to compensate, which can be costly.

Why a high-performance CPU is not the best solution?

Many engineers believe upgrading to multicore processors or FPGA-based controllers will solve the latency problem. While these systems can reduce calculation time by 20-30%, they bring three new issues:

Cost explosion: High-end industrial CPUs such as Intel Xeon or ARM Cortex-A72 increase controller costs by 40-60%, which weakens the return on investment of electric injection molding machines.

Thermal challenges: Dense processing units require complex cooling systems, increasing the machine’s footprint and maintenance requirements.

Software complexity: Real-time operating systems and complex code bases require specialized programming skills, which increases long-term support costs.

High-performance CPU (1)

 

Topstar TE Ⅱ electric injection molding machine: decentralized intelligent control

TE Ⅱ electric injection molding machine adopts intelligent drive control architecture. The whole system no longer relies solely on the central controller but enables the servo drive to generate motion curves according to process parameters autonomously. Its working principle is as follows:

Parameter initialization: The central controller sends key process data, such as clamping force, injection speed curve, etc., to the servo drive during setup.

Localized calculation: Each drive uses a built-in DSP to calculate the real-time position, speed, and pressure trajectory.

Synchronous execution: The drive operates in a peer-to-peer network, minimizing the handshake delay with the central controller.

Through decentralized decision-making, the communication cycle is shortened from 5 milliseconds to 0.3-0.6 milliseconds, improving 8-16 times. This makes synchronous multi-axis control possible, even if the servo motor speed exceeds 3,000 RPM.

electric injection molding machines 98-1

How can to improve product quality by shortening delay time?

Faster response times translate directly into tighter process control in three key areas:

1. Positioning accuracy of electric injection molding machines

During mold clamping, the TE Ⅱ electric injection molding machine’s servo drive can adjust the pressure plate’s position within a tolerance range of 0.01 mm, eliminating flash defects caused by premature mold opening.

2. Pressure consistency

Real-time pressure adjustment during injection (at intervals of 0.1 milliseconds) prevents overfilling or under-injection, critical for optical components such as light guides.

3. Speed ​​synchronization

Simultaneous control of screw rotation and back pressure ensures uniform melt viscosity, thereby reducing sink marks in production.

High quality optical lens products

Electric drive process integrated injection molding machine

The intelligent drive architecture also supports Topstar’s electric injection molding machine process integration system, which integrates auxiliary equipment such as injection molding machines, robots, and mold temperature controllers into one platform. By eliminating separate controllers for auxiliary equipment, manufacturers can get the following:

Centralized monitoring: Real-time dashboard tracks energy consumption, OEE, and predictive maintenance alerts.

Faster changeovers: Preloaded recipes for different materials. Switching from PP to PEEK reduces setup time by 65%.

Scalability: Modular drives easily integrate additional axes for insert molding or in-mold labeling.

More intelligent control, more competitive

The Topstar TE Ⅱ electric injection molding machine proves that overcoming communication delays does not require expensive hardware upgrades. By reallocating computing tasks to intelligent servo drives, Topstar achieves millisecond response speeds while keeping the controller lean. This improves precision and paves the way for a fully integrated smart factory.

Prev: How do you avoid mold sticking problems in injection molding machines production?

Next: The relationship between mould temperature controller and injection molding efficiency

TRENDING POSTS

HOT TOPIC

Get A Quick Quote